TV

Our Sites

Art in the Dancehall Opens in NYC

Making its U.S. debut tonight in NYC, Art in the Dancehall celebrates the Jamaican musical genres relationship to illustration and design. The exhibition, which showed in Birmingham and London over the summer, is curated by Shimmy Shimmy and Al Fingers. They've pulled some of the most vibrant examples of the rich graphic traditions of dancehall from 1979 to present day, aiming to propel the material into the wider pantheon of letterform writing in popular culture.

Dancehall art is informed by the changing socio-political structure of Jamaica in the 1980s. Artists Limonious, Jamaal Pete, and Tony McDermott set tone for classic dancehall covers, while poster designer Sassafras pushed the vibrant new aesthetic into the streets.

Miss Lily's Variety is proud to host the first U.S. installation of Art in the Dancehall, which is presented in association with Jamaica50.